


endurance

by monocots



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, Running, Training, mentions of ushijima and reon and semi and shirabu, my other fandom is kazetsuyo so you know i love running as character bonding, tendou being a good senpai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 09:22:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29399739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monocots/pseuds/monocots
Summary: “You can’t get tired just yet. We need our next ace to endure, right? You need to stay strong, like it’s a long match!”Tendou Satori likes morning runs, partially because he’s good at them. Not everyone on the team is, but he’s willing to help a struggling kouhai out.(For Valentendou Week Day 4: Platonic)
Relationships: Goshiki Tsutomu & Tendou Satori
Comments: 6
Kudos: 18
Collections: Valentendou Week





	endurance

**Author's Note:**

> i absolutely love goshiki, and i also absolutely love this headcanon i’ve seen in a few fics where tendou likes running and/or is good at running. so i took those two and put them in one fic!
> 
> also i found a translation of the goshiki-centric light novel chapter the night before i was going to post this so i had to revise at the last minute bc i am Canon Compliance or Bust

Tendou Satori likes morning runs.

The rest of the volleyball team moves rather mechanically as they make their way to the starting point for roadwork, but Satori is extra springy as he moves into his warm-up stretches, swinging one leg back and forth, then the other. To everyone else, morning roadwork is just another part of their rigorous training schedule, meant to build up endurance for long matches. But to Satori, it’s a chance to play around with the world for a little bit, and watch it go by to his own rhythm.

It’s still early when they start, the streets quiet, the sky orange and cloudless. Satori bounces on his feet for a bit at the starting point before everyone else assembles, and they take off. The first few hundred meters or so are rusty; his joints are waking up slowly, slowly, muscles aching at first, resisting the repetitive movement. But after a while, the resistance fades away, and there is only the pleasant warmth both from the morning sun and from his body working up a good sweat. Around him, the world is still asleep; shops are closed, sidewalks are free of pedestrians, and a slight breeze blows alongside the team, as if running with them. Satori feels like he’s dictating the pace of the world from here, getting a hold of it before it grabs him.

He smiles as he turns a corner into a side street, letting the cool morning air tickle his face. His legs carry him at a comfortable pace. His breathing is even, quick little inhales and exhales, the sign of a practiced runner. Part of the reason why he likes running, admittedly, is that he’s  _ good _ at it. His feet hit the concrete with a light rhythm, and the rest of his body moves along in time, singing with energy.

Reon is running next to Satori. His footsteps a little heavy, but breathing comfortably enough. Ahead of both of them is Wakatoshi, his pace faster than everyone else’s, at a rhythm so unwavering it almost seems automated. The other regulars are running in one group, behind Satori, and he shoots them a quick glance. They’re doing just fine 一 okay, Semi leans a little too forward when he runs, but it doesn’t seem to bother him too much. Then someone else catches Satori’s gaze.

Goshiki is running in the middle of the main group, but he’s leaning forward way too much, his arms swinging desperately, and he’s pushing himself forward with too much effort. Satori can see that his mouth is open, and his breathing, he now realizes, is too ragged. Oh no, the poor boy’s going too fast for his stamina.

“Don’t mind me,” he tells Reon, and starts slowing down his pace. Reon nods and passes him, and Satori slows until the main group has caught up with him. Semi blinks at him, and Shirabu narrows his eyes, but he pays no attention to them, instead matching his pace with Goshiki’s. The first-year looks up at him and tries to form his expression into something confident; he instead looks constipated, and Satori wheezes out a laugh.

“Hey, Tsutomu,” he says. “You’re not tired, are you?”

“I’m 一 fine,” comes the reply, but Goshiki’s heavy exhales give away the lie.

“You can’t get tired just yet, you know,” Satori continues. “We need our next ace to endure, right? You need to stay strong, like it’s a long match!”

“Right!” It comes out as a hollow breath, so he says it again, clearer this time.  _ “Right!” _

“So finish this run!”

“Yes!”

“And straighten your back first!”

Goshiki does as he’s told. 

“Relax your shoulders a bit.”

“Okay!”

“Don’t swing your arms so much, just keep at your sides.”

“Okay!” The tension in his upper body goes a bit slack, and Goshiki lifts his gaze up ahead. His form is already ten times better.

“And don’t run so hard, okay? You’re not attacking the ground!”

“I can’t 一 be 一 slow,” Goshiki wheezes between pants.

Shirabu stares at them, as if to say,  _ what the hell do you mean, slow. _ Satori pays him no mind.

“You’re not slow, Tsutomu!” He tilts his head at the first year. “But you have to be light on your feet, too! You can’t tire yourself out with your steps!”

“Yes!” Goshiki straightens up again. “I’m not slow!”

His footfalls become lighter, the sound of his steps softer. He and Satori slow down as the first-year adjusts his form. Semi starts to overtake them, but he gives Satori an small smile. The overtake only encourages Goshiki; he gives Semi a confident, steely look, and this time it really  _ does _ look confident.

Satori stays on pace with the group for a while; Goshiki looks much better now, with his gaze straight ahead, his center of gravity no longer too far forward, and his footfalls no louder than anyone else’s in the group. His breathing begins to even out, too.

Satisfied with his improvement, Satori pulls ahead once more. The sky has started to turn blue, and but there’s still enough jogging left to go. He breaks into a smile again as he turns a corner back to the main road, and spots Reon just a little ahead.

Morning runs are more fun with the team, he supposes.

* * *

On the team’s next free day, Satori tightens the laces on his shoes outside the dorm building, preparing for an afternoon jog. The track team has an off day too, he remembers, so maybe he can use the track oval for once. He inhales deeply and shakes out his limbs. He’s ready for a few rounds of just him and the world whirring by around him, just at the pace he wants.

As he starts his warm-ups, he hears footsteps rushing out of the dorm towards him.

“Tendou-san!”

Satori whips his head around to find Goshiki running his way, dressed in gym clothes and running shoes. His eyes have the same fiery look as on the court, and he seems to be vibrating with energy.

“Can I run with you?!”

Satori can’t help the laugh that comes out of him.

Goshiki scowls. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, Tsutomu,” he says, watching the first-year hop in place. “I didn’t know you took running so seriously!”

“I want to build my endurance, so that I can last longer than even Ushijima-san on the court!”

“Is that so?” He breaks out into a grin full of pride. “You came to the right person, then. First, let me show you some warm-ups.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! please say hello to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/monocots_) as well!


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